Umbrella-runner.



' F. w. HOWARD.

UMBBELLARUNNE H. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- |7| l9l4.

1,255,609., Patented Feb. 5,1918.

421' Hill?" v adaptingit for attachment to the stretchers.

iiRANK w. HOWARD, or NEWTORK, N.. Y-

UMBnnnLA-RUnNER.

To all whom it mag concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK WV. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York,'-in the county of New York and State of New. York, have invented new and usefullmprovements in Umbrella-Runners,

of which the following is'a specification.

This invention relates to umbrellas and" particularly to the runners of umbrellas. A

principal object of the invention is to produce a runner which is very simple in construction and which can be very economi cally manufactured; p g

A further object of the invention is to produce a runner which can be readilylocked to the stick to hold the umbrella q open, and atthe same time having a form Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

. The inventlonconsists in the general combination of 'parts and features hereinafter described, all of which contribute to produce I an efiicient umbrella runner. A preferredembodiment of my invention will be particularly described. in the follow} ing specificatiom while the broad scope of my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings; r Figure 1 is a side elevation of therunner and its contiguous parts, theumbrella stick i being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the runner.

Fig. 3 isa detail showing a form of locking member which is illustrated in Figs. 1 i

and 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken about on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. V i i Fig. 5 is a sideelevation showing another form of lockingmember for the runner.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through this runner. V V

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken on. the line 7-7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of another form of runner. i

Fig.9 is a vertical section through the runner shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 a cross section on the line 10-10.

of Fig. 8.'

Fig. 11 is a side elevation. of the locking member detached.

Specification 6f Letters Patent. Application filed September 17, 1914. ser al nascaiea.

' Fig. 12 is a side elevation showing another form of runner;

Patented Feb. 5.191s;

Fig.13 is a vertical section through @1111): i

nerof'this form."

Fig. 14 is a cross section on the line 1 I14 of Fig. 12.-

Fig.- 15 is a side elevation showing another 7 embodiment of my invention.

Fig. '16 1s a vertical s'ectlon showing the Q runner illustrated in'Fig. 15. l

' Referring more 'particularly to the parts, the runner 15 preferably comprises a sleeve 1 16 having a substantially cylindrical body 17 at the upper end of which any suitable means'may be provided for securing the runner "15 .to the stretchers 19 of the umbrella. But for this purpose I prefer to employ a'conical collar 18 rigid with the. sleeve and having eyes 18 to which the ends of the stretchers 19 attach. The sleeve 16 encircles the runner stick 20 and against the side of this stick there lies unattached and loosely, so as to be also'encircled by the sleeve, a locking member 21. Thislocking.

member may have any suitable form which will facilitate its operating normally to permit the free movement of the runner along the stick, but which is movable intoa position in which it will jam between the sleeve. 16 and the stick and lock or clamp the runner to the stick.

This locking member2'1 is preferably in v the form of a stem extending longitudinally of the runner and arranged to rotate on a longitudinal axis. locking member, it is preferably formed with an integral extension 22 which, if desired, may be in the formof a loop formed near the middle point of the'stem and. pro- 7 jec'ting through an opening or slot 23 in the 95 movement of the locking member. The stem side of the sleeve which permits a rotary ofthis locking member has a greater trans verse dlIIlGl'lSlOIl 111 one transverse or radial plane than in another, andthis form may be produced by forming the stem with slight; bows 24 and 25. These bows 24 and 25 may bend in opposite directions, which insures a good gripping or clamping effect with either direction of movement of the extension or finger piece 22 from its neutral or mid position.

It will be seen that the locking member and the sleeve are arranged so that the In order to rotate the tion is preferably performed by theexten; "sion '22 andbolt 23 as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and to a certain extent by the bent endsjofthe bows 24 and 25riwhich L project beyond'theends of the sleeve.

"-Inthe embodiment of the invention shown g i in.Figs.1;*to 7-,ithe locking member"26 is' ofsimpler formand is preferablyformed "so that its stem 27 is in the formof a bow,

2 g theupp'er en'drof the bow beingformed with an'extension or hook 28 which projects over I the upper end of the sleeve 7 29 where it .lockingmember has anfout wardly disposed ie'xtension 31 which-is located at-the lower edge ;o'f the sleeve and; performs the double y "function oif assisting-in retaining the lock-; Q .fing memberin-the sleeve, andenabling the: "1 "body; ofthe same to be rotated to lock; or

joins the collar "30. I Theilower enjcl of the Q5 .unlockthe sleeve; on the stick. The locking Tf irlem'berls of the' formsdescribed above are j f preferably formed of resilient wire. a y

' inlthelocking; member by forming it with -I-nstead ofjproducin'g the locking "effect avbendpI may simply form a flattened extension 32 on the locking vmember, asillus trated inthe'embodiment of the invention shown Figs." 8t'o l1. In-this-embodiment, the stick 33ois of the same; form asthat de-' 7 scribed, and if'desired, the runner may also beef theformillustrated-in Fig;. 5, but, ijf

,desired,lmay form the sleeve 34 of the run ner; with a 2 socket 35 and'this socket prefer- -Jablyextends-longitudinally of the "sleeve so fjia'sito. presentarecess in which the locking member 36' may lie. I do not limit myself however to the locking member extending longitudinally.of rthe sleeve, as it is obvious that a simple socket can be formed on the innerifaceofthe sleeve receiving a locking "member. whichwill 'ja'm between the stick andrthe sleeve in one position, and leave the runner free in'another position.- How -ever, a socket extendingthroughout the entire length of thesleeveis most convenient and economically manufactured and when 77 I. the runneris'ofthisrform, it enables the sleeve to: fit 7 very; neatly to the stick, where as,,in the embodiment'of the inventionshown Y. finFigs'. 4' and '7 ,1 the sleeve-isjpreferably of I (considerably larger diameter thanthe stick.' r Referring to the embodimentnshown in Figs. 12 to 14pm this form of theinvention. V *I prefer'to emp10ya sleeve .37 having a I so'cke'tj3S formed therein and preferably also f providedjwith an opening or slot .39. The, j clocking inember ex'tends out-through the slot to form afin er piece 40 and this finger piece is preferably 7. formed of ,wire' witl 'integral extensions-4C1 which haveanysuitable form I 'jadapted to jam Whenthe-finger piece is ro- 3 tated; Obviously the (extension 141 Qcan if desiredlbe formedonly "on one end ofithe wire, and I do not confine myself tothis flattened form of extension, in fact, an e".- centric knob or any other simple means may be employed which would jam the sleeve on '1 the'stick when the-locking member is rotated to the proper position.

With the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 8, it is evident that if "the runneris removed from the stick, the

. locking'member canbereadily removed from the sleeve. In the form'shown in Fig. 8, thesocket is open on the side toward the stick which permits this easy disengagement ofthe lockingamember.

In theembodiment illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16, I. rovide means to prevent the lockingmem er from scarring the stick, and

this means also adapts the runner for clampingreadilyon a steelstick. For ,thispurposed prefer to provide. a keeper 42 in the form of, a light plate the-endsof'which are bent outwardly to form bearings for the ends of thebent locking key 43,.and are crimped over the ends of the sleeve to prevent dislodgment of the keeper. When the lockin'gkey 43 is rotated to lock the runner, its offset or bent side pushes against the body of-the carrier .42 and forces the same over firmly against the stick so as to. clamp the stick friction'tight- This plate alsoprevents the key from dropping out and keeps the key from sliding around in the sleeve because itiwill be stopped by thestretchers.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described above is only one of the manyforms or embodiments my invention may take, and .I do not wish to be limited in the practice ofmy invention nor in my claims to the particular embodiment set forth. 7

What I claim is v V y .1. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick, alocking member lying loosely against the side of the" stick and unattached to the stick, a runner having acircuniferentialwall en- ;circling the stick and the locking member and retaining the locking member in the space. between the side of the stick and the circumferential wall of the runner, said locking member being movable relatively to thestickon an axis extending substantially parallel With the stick and runner and having a' form adapted to jam the runner on the stick-in one position of the locking member, and permit the free movement of the runner in;another position of. saidolocking member. 2. In an umbrella in combinatiomastick a locking member lying loosely against the side of the stick and unattached to the stick, a runner having a circumferentialwwall encircling-the stick and the lockingmember and retaining the locking member in, the space between the side of the'stick and the circumferential wall of the runner, said lock-' i: ing member being rotatable on-a longitudithe runner on" the stick in one nal axis and having a form adapted to jam position of v the locking member, and permit the free movement of the runner in another p'osition of said locking member. U

. 3. In an. umbrella, in combination, a stick, a locking member lying loosely against the side ofthestick and unattached to the stick,

' a runner having a circumferential wall encircling the stick and the locking member and retaining the locking member in the space between the side of the stick and the circumferential wall of the runner, said locking member being rotatable on a longitudi- 4 nal axis and having difierent dimensions in difi'erent radial planes from its axis of rotation whereby it. will jam the runner on the stick in one position of the locking member,

and permit the free movement along'the runner in another position of said locklng member.

4. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick,

a locking member lying loosely against the side of the stick and unattached to the stick, a runner encircling the stick and locking member and retaining the lockingmember adjacent the stick, said locking member 0011- 7 said locking member.

-5. In, an umbrella, in combination, a stick, a runner encircling thestick, a locking member held between the stick and the runner having a stem extending longitudinally of the runner, said locking member having an integral extension for rotating the same on a longitudinal axis, said stein being arranged to jam against the stickwhen said extension is-swung toward the locking position,

- and normally permitting the free movement of the runner on the stick.

6. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick, a runner encircling the stick, a locking member held betwg the stick and the runner having a stenr'extend-irwgitudinally of the runner, said locking menflir having an integral extension for rotatingthe same on a longitudinal axis, said stem being arranged to jam against the stick when said extension is swung toward the locking position,

and normally permitting the free movement of the runner on the stick, said extension projecting beyond the wall of said runner,

said runner and said locking member being "arranged to engage to retain the locking member on the runner.

7. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick,

a runner encircling the stick, a locking member held between the stick and the runner having a stem extending longitudinally of the runner, said locking member having an integral extension for rotatingthe same on a longitudinal axis, said stem being arranged to jam against the stick when said extensionisswung toward the locking position, and

normally permitting the. free movement of the runner on the stick, said runner having an opening in the wall thereof, and said extension-being arranged projecting through said opening.

8. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick, a runner consisting of a sleeve adapted to slide on said stick, said sleeve having a socket, a locking member rotatably mounted in said socket for engaging the stick when said member is rotated to lock the runner thereto, said runner and said locking member interlocking so that sa1d runner retains said locklngmember, sa1d socket being open on the side toward said'stick and permitting the removal of said locking member from said runner, when said runner is re moved from said stick.

9. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick, a runner encircling the stick and consisting of a sleeve with an elongated socket extending longitudinally of and formed in the face of said sleeve adjacent the stick, a locking member. having a stem disposed longitudinally in said socket and rotatable therein about an axis extending longitudinally with said stick, said stem having difi'erent dimensions in different radial directions from said axis whereby the rotation of sa1d stem may look sa1d runner to sa1d stlck.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I my handin presence of two. subscribing witnesses.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

